University of South Alabama Biomedical Library, 316 BLB, Mobile, AL 36688, USA. jburnham@jaguar1.usouthal.edu
The Scopus database provides access to STM journal articles and the references included in those articles, allowing the searcher to search both forward and backward in time. The database can be used for collection development as well as for research. This review provides information on the key points of the database and compares it to Web of Science. Neither database is inclusive, but complements each other. If a library can only afford one, choice must be based in institutional needs.